VERSE STUDY • KJV

Matthew 26:6-13

⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat [at meat]. ⁸ But when his disciples saw [it], they had indignation, saying, To what purpose [is] this waste? ⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰ When Jesus understood [it], he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹ For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹² For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] for my burial. ¹³ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, [there] shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat [at meat]. ⁸ But when his disciples saw [it], they had indignation, saying, To what purpose [is] this waste? ⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰ When Jesus understood [it], he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹ For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹² For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] for my burial. ¹³ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, [there] shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste? ⁹ This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. ¹² By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

WEB World English Bible

⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. ⁸ But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.” ¹⁰ However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me. ¹¹ For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have me. ¹² For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”

ASV American Standard Version

⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ there came unto him a woman having an alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment, and she poured it upon his head, as he sat at meat. ⁸ But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? ⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰ But Jesus perceiving it said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹ For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹² For in that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

⁶ And Jesus having been in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ there came to him a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, very precious, and she poured on his head as he is reclining (at meat). ⁸ And having seen it, his disciples were much displeased, saying, ‘To what purpose is this waste? ⁹ for this ointment could have been sold for much, and given to the poor.’ ¹⁰ And Jesus having known, said to them, ‘Why do ye give trouble to the woman? for a good work she wrought for me; ¹¹ for the poor always ye have with you, and me ye have not always; ¹² for she having put this ointment on my body—for my burial she did it. ¹³ Verily I say to you, Wherever this good news may be proclaimed in the whole world, what this one did shall also be spoken of—for a memorial of her.’

Surrounding context — Matthew 26

3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill [him].

5 But they said, Not on the feast [day], lest there be an uproar among the people.

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat [at meat].

8 But when his disciples saw [it], they had indignation, saying, To what purpose [is] this waste?

9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

10 When Jesus understood [it], he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] for my burial.

13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, [there] shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

15 And said [unto them], What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

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HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

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